Justin Smith Morrill (1810-1898) was an American politician; he served as both Senator
and Representative from Vermont.

Born in the first of ten children to Nathaniel and Mary (Hunt) Morrill, Justin attended
village schools in Strafford, Vermont where both his father and grandfather had been
farmers and blacksmiths since 1795. He became a partner with his friend Jedediah
H. Harris in the village store in 1831 with great success, and in 1848 he was able
to retire from store keeping to his farm. In 1852 he was chosen to represent the
local Whig party at their national convention, and in 1854 he was elected to the House
of Representatives. From that point he was continuously re-elected to either the
House or the Senate for the next forty-four years.

One of his most lasting accomplishments was the Land-Grant College Act, proposed in
1857 but not signed until 1862, which led to the founding and growth of state colleges
across the country. In 1890 Congress passed the Second Morrill Act which gave $25,000
in federal funds annually to each land-grant college. He was a significant contributor
to the planning and execution of the terraces, fountains, and gardens of the Capitol
and the completion of the Washington Monument, as well as to the founding of the Library
of Congress. He is also well known in some circles for his authorship of the Morrill
Anti-Bigamy Act of 1862.

[Portions of this biographical sketch adapted from the article on Morrill in the Dictionary of American Biography.]

The Justin Smith Morrill Papers comprise correspondence, speeches, and writings, with small amounts of biographical
material and memorabilia. Items date from 1835-1866, preceding his election to the
U.S. Senate, but many items, especially the speeches, are undated.

Correspondence dates from 1836-1866 and amounts to 24 letters: five from Morrill, 12 incoming to
Morrill, and seven others. Among the correspondents are Pennsylvania congressman
John Covode (1808-1871), Maryland congressman Henry Winter Davis (1817-1865), and
Vermont jurist Jacob Collamer (1791-1865). Other corespondents are principally fellow-Vermonters.
An index to the correspondence appears at the end of this inventory.

Eighteen holograph Speeches are all on political topics. The presidential campaign of 1848 was the occasion
for many of them. Morrill's Writings are represented by five verses and two miscellaneous items.

A folder of photocopied Biographical information and four items of Memorabilia complete the collection.

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As a result, many of our manuscript collections are supported by books, pamphlets,
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be
sure to search the Classic Catalog
for these related materials.

"The boy blacksmith; or the picture of contentment passe richesse""The boy blacksmith at his evening toilet; or the picture of contentment passe richesse""Report of the rum destroying committee"Untitled ("Twas morn. I saw the playful boy...")Untitled ("Hard by a village, on a mound...)

Box 1

Miscellaneous 1835, undated
- holograph

"A card to the public," 1835 Sep 27Letter to the reader of the Village Club, South Strafford, Vermont, undated